The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.
Some multi-function peripherals (MFPs) include sophisticated computing platforms that support built-in applications and services, such as printing, scanning, faxing, etc., Web servers and Web applications. The Web applications on an MFP can be accessed via a control panel on the MFP that invokes a Web browser executing on the MFP. Alternatively, Web applications on an MFP can be accessed via Web browsers executing on external devices, such as tablet computing devices, laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), telephony devices, such as so called “smart phones,” and other mobile devices. One of the benefits of implementing Web applications on MFPs is that they can be accessed using so called “thin” clients that have minimal functionality, such as generic Web browsers.
One of the issues with MFP-based Web applications is that accessing them requires using the correct access information for a particular Web application. Access information for Web applications is typically in the form of a URL that may specify a port and/or an application name. Users of external devices may not have convenient access to the access information for Web applications on an MFP and may have to consult their IT department or information provided by a manufacturer, which can be inconvenient for the end users. In addition, the access information for Web applications on MFPs can change, for example, if an administrator changes the configuration of an MFP. In these situations, users must obtain updated access information for the Web applications hosted on an MFP.